Our kitchen is in the midst of construction so we decided to head out for dinner, but where to go? The Catonsville Chamber of Commerce has done a fabulous job of bringing a wide variety of new restaurant options to Catonsville. There are also many wonderful restaurants that have been around for as long as I can remember (and beyond!)

We decided to head to a local Catonsville Favorite, Chef Paolino, just off Frederick Road. Our family has been a fan of Chef Paolino since they opened at 726 Frederick Road, (it's actually just off Ingleside Avenue). The restaurant offers a wide variety of Pizza and other Authentic Italian Fare. We all love the pizza. The thin crust and generous portion, with just the right amount of cheese and sauce at a reasonable price make it a great stop-in-for-a-slice lunch or works great for a group gathering. They also offer the thick crust variety, delicious by all accounts Their sandwiches, salads and entree's are fabulous, prepared with care and served with a smile.

We placed our order at the counter and Chef Paolino himself placed our number on the table. We filled our drinks at the fountain. Beer and Wine are available at the counter or at the small bar. The place was hopping. I wonder how many other kitchens are under construction! Sydney ordered a slice of pizza. She is also a fan of their spaghetti and lasagne. I decided on the clams casino with a side salad and Billy ordered one of the dinner specials-Chicken Stuffed with Lobster topped with a cranberry sauce.

We got to talk a little bit to Chef Paolino when the restaurant settled down a bit. Chef's real name is Paul Delfico, born and raised in a town outside of Napoli called Avellino. He came to the US with his mom as a teenager and started to work in restaurants and caught the bug. Sydney asked him why he called the restaurant Chef Paolino. She was told that his name is Paul and he had an old friend that called him Paolino, or Little Paul in Italian, the name stuck. He has worked in and/or owned restaurants most of his life. He lived in Catonsville from 1974 until 2001 when he moved to Mt Hebron in Howard County. To him, Catonsville was always home. He had a shop in the Columbia Mall for over 20 years, he is always happy when those regulars find him at the Catonsville Restaurant.

We were all very happy with our selections, as you can see above Syd loves the garlic bread! The clams were among the best I have eaten.

Billy's chicken and lobster dish was not only pretty, it was tasty too! He said the side of spinach was amazing.

They just started to serve authentic Italian Sushi on weekend nights. I felt a little sorry for the Sushi Chef after I realized he wasn't just a bored bartender. Since we were at one of the table closest to the bar, and Sydney loves to talk to strangers, we started to chat with him. We got to sample some of the sushi...quite a treat. The sushi is prepared to order by Chef Michael D'Anna, who has been part of many of Baltimore's great restaurants. With over 25 recipes, you are sure to find something to love! Stop in and visit Michael on weekend nights, you won't be disappointed.

My kitchen should be finished soon, but I know that we will always find an excuse to visit Chef Paolino!